Criss Angel‘s 7-year-old son Johnny Crisstopher has entered remission after more than five years since his cancer diagnosis.
Angel, who shares Johnny with Shaunyl Benson, shared the news on Instagram writing, “TODAY OUR SON JOHNNY CRISSTOPHER WILL FINALLY RING THE BELL SYMBOLIZING HIS REMISSION AND THE END OF HIS TREATMENT! ????”
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Johnny was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2015 and had a brief remission. But in December 2019, Johnny’s cancer had come back.
Angel, 54, shared a video documenting Johnny’s entire battle with cancer, calling it “the most important post I have ever made.” The nearly 14-minute long short film is titled “1095” — representing the 1,095 chemotherapy sessions needed to treat his son’s type of B-Cell A.L.L. Leukemia.
Angel shares footage from the many doctor’s visits in the clip as well as emotional discussions between Angel and Benson — who are also parents to son Xristos Yanni, 2, and daughter Illusia Angelina, 2 months — about Johnny.
“One child every two minutes is diagnosed with cancer,” he said in the video. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate… so I want to try and be a voice for these kids and I want to try to help these families that are going through the toughest time of their life and let them know that they’re not alone.”
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Angel went on to add that he hopes to raise “hundreds of millions of dollars” toward pediatric cancer because he’d “rather be remembered for the work that I did with kids than the work that I did as a magician.”
Angel spoke to PEOPLE in 2016, about the moment he learned Johnny had been diagnosed with cancer, saying he felt “helpless.” He also revealed how it was difficult watching his son experience the side effects of cancer treatments, which included hair loss and behavioral changes.
“Johnny is a happy, fun, loving boy, but the steroid treatments have a profound effect on his mood,” he explained. Johnny began throwing “violent” tantrums. “That’s hard to see, but that’s not our Johnny. That’s the steroids,” Angel said.
“My son is supposed to outlive me. I’d rather it be me that was sick,” Angel added at the time. “I want Johnny’s future to be long and happy. That kid is just a bundle of love. He’s the truest form of magic.”
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